Power assist steering gears for a vehicle steering system are known. A power assist steering gear may include a housing that defines a fluid chamber. A piston divides the fluid chamber into a first portion and a second portion. A fluid flow control valve directs pressurized fluid into one of the first or second portions of the fluid chamber, thereby causing linear movement of the piston relative to the housing. The piston is connected with a steering linkage to effect steering movement of vehicle wheels upon linear movement of the piston. The fluid flow control valve is actuated by an input shaft that is controlled be a vehicle operator.
A vehicle may be provided with steering stops that limit the maximum steering movement of the vehicle wheels. The power assist steering gear is typically provided with a pressure relief assembly that is arranged to prevent damage to vehicle components once the steering stops are reached. One implementation of a pressure relief assembly includes first and second poppet valves.
The first and second poppet valves can be adjusted to relieve pressure in the housing just prior to parts of the steering system engaging the steering stops, thereby limiting further steering movement at a predetermined position. Although automatically adjusting poppet valves are available, it is sometimes desirable to use manually adjustable poppet valves in order to maximize steering travel and allow for easier correction of any errors that may occur during assembly of the power assist steering gear. However, due to the arrangement of the power assist steering gear, access to one of the manual poppet valves can be difficult, thereby complicating adjustment of that manual poppet valve.